Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus capable of radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication with an external device.
Description of the Related Art
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a non-contact wireless communication system that utilizes a radio guidance system. Recently, RFID has been employed as an authentication system in various fields, such as physical distribution management systems, user authentication systems, electronic money systems, and transport systems.
For example, in a physical distribution management system, an RFID reader/writer placed in a fixed position reads an RFID tag embedded in conveyed parts to check the type and number of the parts. In an authentication system, individual authentication can be performed such that an integrated circuit (IC) card is passed over an RFID unit in an image forming apparatus of a multifunction peripheral for logging in to the multifunction peripheral, and an RFID tag is read.
Such an RFID device includes two types, one is an active operation type that supplies power to an RFID tag that does not include a power source, and a passive operation type to which power is supplied.
An RFID tag in an IC card or the like that passively operates communicates with an external reader/writer by generating the required power internally with radio waves from the external reader/writer without having an internal battery. In contrast, an RFID device that actively operates includes a battery or the like, and performs communication by autonomously transmitting information. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-302956 discusses a technique relating to an actively operating RFID device, which switches the device to a passive type when a power supply on/off detection unit detects turning off of the power supply to the RFID unit.
However, in an image forming apparatus that includes an RFID unit, just switching a device to a passive type when the power supply to the RFID unit is turned off as performed conventionally cannot be said to be appropriately switching the RFID communication method based on the situation. For example, if an active type RFID tries to communicate with an image forming apparatus in which an RFID unit is operating as the active type, various issues arise, such as communication with an radio-frequency (RF) tag being impossible due to radio wave interference.